The Last Marauder?
by The Cashew Nuts
Summary: At Bill and Fleur's wedding Remus is feeling a little lonely, until he realises something important...


**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Harry potter or anything to do with thes characters, i only own the plot.

**AN:** This takes place after HBP, at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

* * *

The late afternoon sun glazed over the tree tops and down onto the still grounds of the Burrow, bathing everything in soft golden light.

It was a beautiful scene, people laughing and talking, sighing over the newly married couple, of Bill and Fleur Weasley.

Remus Lupin looked around the group and smiled, a little wistfully. Molly Weasley was alternating between crying and hugging everyone sporadically. Charlie, Ron, Percy and Ginny Weasley were sitting with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger talking quietly. Fred and George Weasley however were doing exactly the opposite. They were dancing exuberantly, making enough noise for the entire wedding party,

let alone two nineteen year olds.

Looking at them, Remus felt the smile slide from his face a little. He remembered another wedding party much like this one, a little more than seventeen years ago…

* * *

"_Hey, Remus! What are you doing over here by yourself?" Peter Pettigrew's voice floated over the music and Lupin looked up, smiling._

"_Maybe I'm trying to avoid getting involved with any of yours and Sirius' plans." He said mock seriously._

"_What was that?" Sirius Black's affronted voice said indignantly._

"_Nothing, nothing. Just saying how much we liked your speech." Remus lied smoothly._

"_Oh," he replied, puffing up his chest arrogantly, and saying pompously, "Yes, I thought it was rather good myself." _

_If Remus had not seen the glint in his friend's eyes he almost would have thought he was not joking._

_Peter leaned down to whisper into Remus' ear, "If we just get him talking, we can back away slowly and be gone before he even notices."_

_Remus smirked._

"_They both look really happy, don't they?" Peter said, straightening up and looking at James and Lily Potter. _

"_Yeah, to think, five years ago, Lily wouldn't even give James the time of day." Remus scoffed._

"_I knew all along that she would give in to him." Sirius said importantly, sniggering only a little._

_They all smirked. "Of course you did, that was why you said, 'Lily, I know you don't like James, but I'm way better looking than him, you could go out with me instead?"_

"_No, I seem to remember it as Sirius getting halfway through before Lily slapped him and stormed off." Peter broke in._

"_I was just trying to speed up the course of nature, "Sirius replied airily. "Hey, look, there's Minnie, let's go…talk to her."_

_Sirius grabbed Peter and they hurried off, Remus following at a slower pace, thinking what a good thing it was they were no longer in school…_

* * *

He looked down at the table quickly, before anyone could see the abrupt change in expressions.

"Remus?" He jumped, the voice was familiar, it had made him jump many times before, though usually, after the fright would come the announcement of yet another detention.

"Professor McGonagall?" He looked up at her confusedly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, you seemed a little lonely by yourself. Are you all right?"

"Me? Yes, I'm fine." Remus lied. McGonagall noticed though and turned a disapproving glare on him.

"I was just thinking about…weddings."

"Weddings."

"Yes." Remus smiled again. "Remember they used to call you 'Minnie'?" He did not have to explain who 'they' were.

"Yes, I remember. But it was not only 'them, as you put it."

"I know, I used to do it too. But it was an endearment, Professor."

McGonagall smiled, before saying sarcastically, "Oh, I'm sure it was."

They fell silent for a few moments before Remus said, "I miss them. Even Peter." At McGonagall's almost pitying look, he continued, "I know, Peter isn't worth it, but sometimes I think of how we used to be back in school, and…he was a friend. Back then, we would have done anything for each other. The Marauders, that's what they used to call us. I never liked the name; it made me feel a little ridiculous." Remus felt himself rambling, and with a little difficulty stopped.

McGonagall looked at him shrewdly. "It is all right to miss them all, you know. Pettigrew, what he did was disgusting, but even an act like that can't stop your feelings. Emotions other than hate. Even if you despise him, you were all friends for a very long time, anyone would wish for that back."

Remus looked at the table, scratching at a burn mark with his fingernail. "I know. It doesn't help though. I'm the last one of the Marauders." He said bitterly, saying the last word as if it hurt him to do so. When McGonagall was going to say something, he cut her off, "We made a Marauders map, you know. Of Hogwarts. Everyone, everything, where they are, what they're doing, every second, of every day. And all the secret passages. Harry's got that now." They both looked over at Harry.

Understanding Remus' silent request, McGonagall stood, and said, "I won't say anything to anyone." Smiling, she looked at Fred and George Weasley, and the group of the other Weasley children, along with Harry potter and Hermione Granger.

"I think you might be wrong you know, about being the last Marauder. From what I saw of the four of you inside and out of school, it was always more than just jokes and mischief. Your group was about friendship, and loyalty. The Marauders from your generation might be gone except for you, but, those people over there, the Weasley children, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, they are Marauders too, simply because they know the strength of that sort of friendship. Isn't that what matters, Remus?"

A happy smile spread over his face and he looked at her gratefully. Standing up, he offered her a hand, "So, _Minnie_, want to dance?"

Smiling, McGonagall accepted the offered appendage and they made their way from the table.

* * *

Later that night, as Remus looked at Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter all talking and joking, he felt the melancholy that had surrounded him fade away completely. Sirius, James and Peter might all be gone, but he was not alone. Tonks waved at him and exchanged annoyed looks with Molly Weasley when he didn't make his way to her straight away.

Looking at the trio again, he smiled realising fully at last, that he was not in fact, the last Marauder.

* * *

**AN:** All right, it's a bit slow, but i always think that lupin should be a bit more upset about being the last one of his friends in essence, so that's why i wrote this.

Please, i really want to know what you think, so even if it's anonymous, just review, even if its to say, that it's terrible.

Okay?

thanks for reading,

Love, Nut 1


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